Market Notes
April 24th, 2025
SPECIALTY PROODUCE NOTES FROM ALL OVER
Frisee appears to be readily available now, but the Salinas Valley and surrounding areas are still lacking the sunlight that is typical of this season. Morning fog gives way to cloudy and overcast afternoons with the sun peeking through on occasion. Fortunately, nights aren’t too cold and fields of green look great, it’s just slow growing. Red endive from Belgium has been put on hold as the tariffs appear too high to fill air containers. Boat shipments of white endive are uninterrupted. Purple fingerlings available at great prices, too low to advertise here. Also, unlike most purple fingerlings, these look excellent. Ramps are in full swing, and next week we should see the beginning of the East Coast fiddlehead ferns. Local morel mushrooms are coming in and a few porcini’s as well. Baby squash, out of central California, packed in 10 pound cases are at peak of perfection. Large yellow slicing tomatoes remain scarce. Peeled garlic from China has become tariff weird and is less or not available. Rainy season affecting Hawaiian Basil making some days impossible to pick and ship. Organic cherries and Apricots two weeks away. Stunning micro-greens, crystals, edible flowers and tiny (smaller than baby) veg all available for Mother’s Day, edible roses too!
TARIFFICATION
Starting to look like this will be a weekly entry. We’ll see how the information and supply chain changes and adjusts. This week we lost availability of a program due to tariffs, and currently we are no longer able to bring in red endive from Belgium. Our grower shipper claimed he could not get enough orders to fill an air container due to the increased pricing due to tariffs. As we understand it, there is a 10% tariff on everything that comes into this country. It used to be about 2.5%, so the increase is about 7.5% The older tariffs were included in costs from the seller when the price was quoted. If exporters are adding 10% over and above the current tariff, it is inaccurate, and you are possibly being over tariffed. This has nothing to do with the 90 day moratorium on the tariff list the administration proposed on Liberation Day, and anything from China is minute by minute.
NEW QUIZ – WHO AM I ???
I am a perennial plant belonging to the Apiaceae family, which includes carrots and parsnips. Native to Europe and Asia, it was a staple root vegetable in Europe before the introduction of potatoes. I hail from the days of the Romans, who praised me for my sweet, nutty flavor. Even King Henry VIII had a taste for me! I grow best in cool, moist soil, my slender roots diving deep into the earth like tangled threads of flavor. I’m a perennial in mild climates and enjoy a spot in the garden where my feathery green tops can sway with the breeze. I may look like a bunch of pale, ivory-colored spaghetti noodles that forgot how to be symmetrical, but don’t let my oddball looks fool you. My taste? Think a mix between parsnip and carrot, but with a sweet kiss and a creamy texture. My flowers and leaves are edible too. In the kitchen, I’m a chameleon—boil me, roast me, mash me, or even fry me into golden fritters. My subtle sweetness pairs beautifully with butter and herbs, and I’m a hit in stews. And yes, despite my old-timey vibes, I pack a punch nutritionally with fiber, potassium, and vitamin C.
The answer to last week’s quiz is…BAEL… – Congrats to all winners
Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com Phone 908-789-4700 – Fax 908-789-4702 – e-mail passings@culinaryproduce.com
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